Gambling Commission apologises for “inappropriate” tweet on World Cup betting

The regulator has deleted the tweet, which some people had said was inappropriate.

UK.- As England prepared to face France in the World Cup quarter-finals at the weekend, the British gambling regulator, the Gambling Commission took the precaution of issuing a tweet reminding people to gamble with regulated operators. However, it didn’t think through the content very well.

The regulator has deleted the tweet and issued a public apology after receiving criticism for the message, which some people said was inappropriate because it featured children. The message featured a gif showing England football fans, including children wearing facepaint in the team colours.

The message, which was viewed 20,000 times, read: “Whether it’s your first time betting on the World Cup or not, make sure you protect yourself with licensed companies.” It included a link to the regulator’s online register of licensees.

After deleting the tweet, the regulator issued a statement saying: “Throughout the World Cup we have been using social media to highlight how consumers can protect themselves when gambling online. In error one of those tweets featured a gif of a child celebrating at a football game,” the Gambling Commission statement read.

“We realise this was an oversight and undermined an important consumer protection message. We apologise to anyone who may have been offended by unintended association and have now deleted the tweet.”

The exposure of minors to gambling has been an issue of concern in the UK, with many anti-gambling campaigners calling for more restrictions on television advertising and sports sponsorship.

Last month, the Gambling Commission’s 2022 Young People and Gambling Report found that 31 per cent of under 16s said they had spent their own money on gambling in the last 12 months. The vast majority indicated their gambling was legal or did not include age-restricted products. Examples included playing arcade gaming machines, which include penny pusher or claw grab machines (22 per cent), placing a bet for money between friends or family (15 per cent), or playing cards with friends or family for money (5 per cent).

In September, the Gambling Commission fined Betway £400,000 after it was promoted in the children’s section of West Ham United FC website.